Life in Funbari
by drageionel543
Summary: Life goes on after the tournament. The gang returns to their original places before meeting each other hoping and going through life just like every other person, Yoh and Anna included. Yoh x Anna
1. Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi guys, been a long time since I posted something here.

Here's some stories about my favorite childhood anime show, Shaman King. Growing up, I never realized how this show could teach us so many things about life, companionship and love.

Hopefully you guys will understand how I feel by reading this short collection of fics.

Please review and as always,

Thank you!


	2. Chapter 1

Scene 2

Shopping

"Anna wait up!"

Yoh shouted, ignoring the fact that the whole aisle of shoppers could hear him. It was hard to manage two trolleys packed to the brim with groceries, let alone having to chase her around the crowded aisles of Heico Supermart. (_Sorry if I got the name wrong, it was a wild guess)_

"Eh Anna," he mumbled, after finally catching up to her.

"Could you slow down? I can barely keep up with having to push two trolleys and with you walking so fast it's kinda hard to catch up."

She looked at him, her brown orbs searching his.

"Here, I'll push this one." Her hands reached out to his, removing the handle from his grasp, before shifting her attention to some special wasabi sauce that was on sale.

Ordinary people would think nothing of the gesture. But Yoh and Anna were by far, not ordinary at all. After the tournament, Yoh found her gentler, kinder even. She definitely didn't scold him and slap him as much. The last time he got her Legendary Left was about 3 weeks ago, when he drooled on his pillow so badly that Anna threw the pillowcase away. It was an improvement, no doubt about that.

Yoh smiled wistfully, happy that he witnessed the little acts of love that his fiancée would show every now and then. Even if they didn't mean much to everyone else, they meant a lot to him.

Anna picked up the bottle of wasabi sauce, taking the opportunity to sneak a glance at him. He was smiling like the idiot that he always was. She loved it though, that smile, for reasons she herself could not comprehend.

She read him like an old book. They knew everything about each other and along with it came a certain level of respect and comfort.

And love.

"Are you just going to stand there smiling like an idiot, or do you want me to make you push this trolley as well?"

"Uh-hehehe…sorry Anna." He murmured, before pushing his trolley alongside hers.

It wasn't before long they stopped again, this time near the cutlery section. Anna looked at a pot, with the advertisement boldly exclaiming,

"NO STICK! NO HASSLE! NO HEADACHE! USE KEIKOKO POTS TODAY!"

She smiled inwardly, reminded of the fact on how these companies would be proven wrong if Yoh were to use them for cooking. That boy was just a mess in the kitchen.

Once, she phoned home to tell him to cook some rice because she had to stay back in school for some supplementary lessons, only regretting her decision when she came back to find the rice cooked beyond edibility, with the grains sticking to the pot like glue.

When she looked at him for an explanation, she only got that idiotic smile. As always.

"Eh Anna, look! It's this pot again! Remember that time when you called me to-"

"Yes Yoh, I remember. Don't need to get so happy over it." She replied, unable to stop the small smile forming unknowingly on her face.

Yoh beamed at her, touched that she remembered that small incident. Of course, he remembered the sore left cheek as well, but that didn't matter.

"I hope you can cook better now. " Anna muttered, her eyes looking at his for a moment, before turning away.

"Hehehe…maybe you could let me try tonight?" Yoh smiled, hopeful that he would get a second chance to prove that his culinary skills had improved.

"Nice try, but if you're cooking I think I'm better off eating instant noodles tonight."

"But Anna…"

"No buts Yoh. Now get in line and start queuing before I get mad."

"Hai…"

He was always so obedient, she thought. Typical Yoh, always listening to her, never putting up resistance at all. Sometimes she wondered who had the power in their marriage. But she loved it that way, when things were not complicated. It was never complicated with him.

Suppressing a smile, she patted him on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" He grumbled, turning around to face her.

"You've been humming the new Bob Love album all week. Do you want to get it?" Anna asked, deciding to let him spend some of the excess money that they had received from the Asakura family back in Izumo.

Immediately his eyes widened and a broad smile formed on his face.

"Can I?" Yoh's voice responded, full with glee like that of a young child.

She nodded, before hearing him explode with joy, along with some fist pumping in the air.

"But…"

His voice lowered, afraid at what Anna would demand next.

"You have to learn how to cook rice. Promise?" she stated, her terms loud and clear.

"I promise! Thank you Anna!" he loudly exclaimed, invisible to the glances and stares he was attracting.

"Quieten down Yoh, everyone is looking at us!"

Alas, her pleas fell on deaf ears, as she watched him continuing to cheer as if he had become a millionaire in an instant. She suppressed a grin, but to no avail. Yoh just made her happy.

After paying, they lugged the groceries back home, with Yoh doing most of the work. They put all the groceries in their gigantic fridge, before going out as promised to get Bob Love's new album at their local CD shop, a couple of blocks away.

"Ne Anna…" Yoh shifted his gaze to her as they walked out of the inn together. She looked at him, not stopping her strides.

"I was wondering…do I have to learn how to cook the rice myself, or can I learn it from you? Does it still count?"

She sighed, not surprised at his comment.

_Oh Yoh…some things never change._


	3. Chapter 2

Scene 3

Music

Whistling as he went along, Yoh felt the extra hop in his step, the wide smile he plastered onto his face, along with his beautiful fiancée walking beside him. Of course, he never told her that. He was happy, contented even.

_This is what life should be like. Me, Anna, and Bob Love!_

Digging his hands in his pockets, he walked in silence alongside her. It had been a while since the tournament and they weren't the young kids back then. Well, maybe he was, but Anna, boy had she changed.

Turning his head sideways to marvel at her, Yoh realized how much she had…_matured._ Her golden blonde locks of hair grew past her shoulders now, surrounding the face and person that meant everything to him. She was taller, slimmer, even fuller, as Horo Horo would tell him, although he had no idea what he meant. Her red bandana acted as a scarf, around her neck, letting her hair flow freely in the wind's embrace.

"What are you staring at, baka?" she exclaimed, breaking him of his stupor.

"No-nothing." He defended, before quickly looking ahead.

They walked in silence till they reached the shop, with Yoh immediately running off to the Bob Love section. Anna, on the other hand, shuffled around slowly, stopping at anything that interested her. Seeing that they had her favorite singer's album as well, she opened the sample CD case and put the CD into the sample CD player.

Putting on their headphones, she leaned against the shop window, captivated by the angelic voice of the female singer.

For once, Anna closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the music, enthralled by the soothing tunes which helped her to relax. She loved it, the music, and the voice, all surrounding her. She was in her own little world, even if only for a little while.

Yoh looked at her, allowing a smile to creep up on his face. It had been a while since he saw Anna so…_serene._ She was beautiful, he thought, she just didn't know it, or how much. He walked over to her, allowing himself to stare at his beautiful fiancée.

Feeling someone stare at her, she opened an eye, to see that it was Yoh, standing there, smiling gently at her. Removing the headphones and placing them on the rack, she walked over to the cashier and took out money from her purse, before handing it to Yoh.

"Here. Have you gotten the album?"

"Yeap."

"I'll wait for you outside." She walked out of the shop, hearing the tinkling of the bell placed on the handle.

Soon, they were on their way home, after getting what Yoh had wanted. Stopping at a traffic interchange, Anna leaned against the traffic light, expecting Yoh to stop behind her. Instead, he made a right and motioned to Anna to continue walking with him.

"Where are we going? Home is this way." She asked with slight confusion and surprise.

"To the park. It's still early anyway. We should take a stroll. We haven't done that in a while." He smiled at her, waiting for her to follow him.

"Come on Anna, it'll be fun."

Nodding her head, she followed him, as always, no questions asked.

When they reached the park, they sat at their usual bench, near the vending machine, facing the gorgeous Funbari Lake, its waters glistening under the dim moonlight, along with the buildings that surrounded the area. Anna noticed the vending machine, emitting its usual drone, along with the can of hot chocolate that it sold.

"Do you want one?" Yoh asked, sensing what Anna was thinking about. She nodded quietly, before leaning against the bench, allowing herself to soak in her surroundings. It was just like that night, the night before the Shaman Fight in America. Yoh didn't actually know how sad she was on the inside that night. Sad because she didn't want him to go. Sad because he could come back a different person, a different Yoh. Sad because she wouldn't be able to see him. Sad because she would be lonely. Sad because she would miss him. A lot.

"Here." He passed the hot chocolate can to her, before sitting down beside her. As always, Yoh noticed how Anna put the can to her cheek, letting the warmth linger on her skin. It wasn't winter, but Anna always did that. He smiled at her, grateful that some things in his life would never change.

"Oh, I got a surprise for you. Here, take my headphones." Removing his bright orange headphones, he placed them gently around Anna's head, before taking the headphone jack and plugging it into a CD player. (_I know in the anime and manga that there is no headphone jack, but some things change, don't they?:) _

"Where did you get that CD player, Yoh?" she asked, genuinely interested and curious on how he had money to buy a CD player.

"Oh that, I saved up some money, that's all. Along with the money you gave me today, I could afford to buy it, along with a new album." He explained, his hands busy fumbling with something hidden out of Anna's view.

"Look Yoh, it's nice you got a new CD player and all, but I don't really want to listen to Bob Love's album. Why are you making me listen to them anyway?" Anna asked, getting slightly annoyed at Yoh's weird requests today.

"Just listen to them Anna. I'm sure you'll like it." He replied, still busy fumbling with the CD player and a CD.

"Yoh, I said I don't want to listen to your-"

She was cut off in her speech with the sounds humming in her ear. This music, this song…she looked to Yoh for some sort of explanation, only getting a smile in return.

"Do you like it? Does it sound okay?" Yoh asked, a jubilant look spreading across his face.

"I…Yoh…how did you know I wan-"

"I saw you listening to it at the store," Yoh exclaimed, before fishing out the CD cover from his white plastic bag. "It really looked like you loved it. So I got it for you. I hope you don't mind." He replied, hopeful that it would make her smile.

Indeed she did. And to him, that was all that mattered.

"Arigatou, Yoh." Anna exclaimed, her eyes shining with a happiness that betrayed her stoic look. She mustered a smile at least, wanting to show her thanks.

"It's nothing Anna. Anything to make you happy." With a joyous look on his face, he reached over to pass the CD player to her.

"Here, this is for you as well. I already have the vinyl player at home, so I bought this for you too. You can bring it around and listen to it whenever you like. I know you don't have headphones, so you can borrow mine if you want to. Here, it works like this, so you plug this into…" Yoh explained to her, oblivious to the look on her face.

She smiled, eyes shining brightly, not wanting to hide her feelings any longer. Staring at him, she realized how much she loved him, although she never told him. Yoh wasn't the smartest kid, or the funniest one even. But he was genuine, real, honest, never putting up a façade unlike herself. It took courage to be someone like that, courage in which she admired.

"So, do you like it?" He asked once more, after his explanation was done.

"I do. I like it a lot. Thank you, Yoh." She smiled, a rare smile only reserved for him, and only him.

"That's good," he responded, glad that he had made her happy. Bob Love couldn't make him feel this sort of happiness. This…only Anna could do that. And he hoped she would remain the only one.

"Shall we go home then? You can listen to it on the way home." Yoh stood up, extending a hand to help her. Gladly accepting it, Anna wrapped her fingers around it, letting him pull her to her feet. They walked home, in silence, hand in hand, much to Yoh's surprise.

The can of hot chocolate, still warm, laid there till dawn.


	4. Chapter 3

Scene 4

Food

Unwrapping the silver aluminum foil that contained his dinner, Asakura Yoh could hardly contain his excitement. It had been a total of fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds since he had ordered his dinner from the menu. His eyes darted to the plate, seemingly enamored by its glorious appearance, something he would be unable to achieve with his level of culinary expertise.

In short, Yoh was hungry. Very hungry.

"Who said you could eat, my food hasn't arrived yet. Put down your knife and fork! Have you not learnt any table manners?" a loud commanding voice boomed from his front. There she was, always reprimanding him for his little mistakes.

"Sorry Anna…" Yoh obliged hesitantly, sinking into his chair.

_Of course she could wait! I haven't eaten anything since morning. All because I spilled leftover soup onto the floor…_

Sighing, Yoh decided that he could wait, leaning against the comfort of his brightly colored chair. He looked out the window, noticing people walking by, all soaked up in their own little worlds.

_What did I look like to everyone else? Would they remember me? What are they thinking about? Life? Friendship? Love?_

"Yoh." Her voice brought him out of his trance, with him turning to face her.

"I'll be eating at home. Apparently they ran out of clams. "She spoke, her expression unwavering beneath his gaze.

"Why not order something else? I'm sure you'll find something you like." Yoh replied, as he reached out to grab the menu from the corner. Her hand stopped him.

"Forget it. I've already taken a second look. I knew we shouldn't have eaten out." Anna muttered, before sighing under her breath. Lifting a finger to pull back a loose strand of blonde hair, she looked at Yoh, motioning at him to go on without her.

"Guess you'll be eating alone tonight. See you back home." As she stood up to leave, Yoh wanted to say something, or do something to stop her. But he didn't, as usual. Cause things were always like that.

Watching her leave the diner even without glancing back at him, Yoh sighed and smiled sadly. He picked up his knife and fork, hoping that it would be worth the wait. It sure looked delicious, his black pepper chicken bento, with his favorite spring onions and a large chunk of meat, covered in thick and rich black pepper sauce.

Cutting a small piece before putting it into his mouth, Yoh began to frown. It wasn't nice at all. Not because it was too cold, or because the meat was too dry, but because he was eating alone. Without her.

Pulling out the cash for his meal, before placing it on the table, he hurriedly left to catch up to his fiancée.

"Anna! Wait up!" Yoh shouted as he ran to catch up to her.

"Weren't you supposed to be eating? What are you doing here?" Anna asked, with a slight turn of her head. She wasn't surprised though, because she knew Yoh would follow her everywhere.

"I didn't want to eat it anymore. It didn't taste that nice. Your cooking is better." He smiled, scratching the back of his neck, hopeful that he would not be punished for wasting food.

Of course, Anna knew the real reason why he didn't want to eat there. But some things were better left unsaid.

Blushing faintly at his casual compliment, she nodded her head, continuing her walk home together with him.

"Do you want me to cook for you?" Anna asked, not wanting to seem too nice.

"You…do you want to?" Yoh replied, touched and shocked at her kind gesture.

"Baka. You and I both know I'm the only one who cooks edible stuff in this household. If not me, then is Amidamaru going to cook for you? Besides, I haven't eaten dinner myself." She calmly spoke, secretly happy that Yoh received her gesture positively.

Chuckling, Yoh dug his hands into his pockets, embarrassed at his stupid question. Still, he knew Anna meant well, she just didn't want it to seem like it.

"Thanks, Anna. You always do what's best for me." Yoh whispered, looking down at the ground while he spoke.

Anna heard it of course, with a deep red flushing her cheeks.

_Glad you know Yoh, glad you know._


	5. Chapter 4

Scene 5

Sunset

_A/N: Just wanted to say thanks for all the reviews that and views that this story has been getting. Thanks a lot, enjoy reading._

With winter closely approaching, the trees atop of Funbari Hill began to turn a deep red hue, with leaves slowly falling to the ground, forming little beds on the floor, littering the grass with an assortment of colors.

_It's so beautiful, this place. _

Asakura Yoh trudged along the cement path, alone but not afraid, he walked lazily before plopping his body down on a pile of leaves onto the floor, laughing as he did so. Amidamaru smiled at his childishness, keeping a close watch nearby.

"Yoh-dono, you seem to be enjoying yourself." He spoke in a calm, polite manner, letting a laugh escape his mouth at the sight of his master behaving like a child. It had been quite some time since they had spent some time together, just the two of them.

"Of course I am!" Yoh laughed out boisterously, waving his arms and legs on the grass like a snowman, before leaning against the bark of the big tree that stood atop Funbari Hill. Its luscious green leaves spread above like a canopy, providing shade from the cool autumn sun.

"Ne, Amidamaru…" Yoh spoke softly, a tone which was gentle yet firm.

The samurai turned to face his master, curious at what he had to say.

"Do you think I'm a good fiancé?"

If it was possible for spirits to choke on air, Amidamaru certainly did.

"Why do you say that, Yoh-dono? It's unlike you to ask a question such as this." The spirit, concerned with the thoughts of his master. As of late, he was quieter, serious even. Could she be the reason why?He was certainly not the casual and carefree Yoh from before, beneath that expression lay a thoughtful mind, maybe even a hopeful heart.

"Nothing Amidamaru, its nothing." He replied, a smile on his face, before standing up to stare at the beautiful urban Tokyo landscape. Night began to descend over the city, lights started to flicker to life in the streets and buildings.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be home starting on dinner."

He could recognize that voice a million miles away. It was her, his _fiancée._

Amidamaru, recognizing that he was out of place, bowed to greet the blonde itako, before disappearing into the mortuary tablet Yoh had made for him.

"Hey, Anna." Yoh turned around slowly, his body facing his.

_She's beautiful…_

With the captivating sun setting over the horizon, the sky was painted a deep reddish-purple, allowing Tokyo to be engulfed in its brilliance. But Yoh couldn't care less about the sun, for there was a star in front of him, brilliant in all her ways, even when she tried to hide it.

In fact, that made her even more special, if anything. She was different, unique, like a rose among the thorns. Yoh chuckled inwardly, astonished at how lovesick he had become. He didn't know when feelings like this started to come so frequently, but he wasn't complaining. It allowed him to see Anna in a different light, a shade of her that his immaturity in the past could never understand. But now, now he knew.

Her hair flowed in the wind, with her soft hands reaching up to caress her cheek, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear as she did so. Her eyes, unwavering pools of mystery, seemed a little lighter today. Maybe she was touched at his gesture from the night before, or maybe she was just being nice.

She wasn't angry at all, her calm demeanor surprising him. He expected her to be furious at least, she was always particular when it came to food, especially dinner.

Anna came to Yoh's side, plopping down on her knees as she did so, gazing towards the setting sun.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Yoh muttered, first to break the familiar yet comfortable silence that surrounded them. He sat down beside her, leaning his weight onto the tree behind him.

"Here, thanks for your headphones last night. " She responded, digging from her bag to pass the bright orange device to him, encased in a small blue silk bag.

"Oh, you don't want to use them anymore?"

"No, not tonight. So I returned them to you."

"Oh…sure thing. You can always borrow them if you want. It won't be a problem." Yoh chimed, his smile wavering a little.

The silence continued to linger, but it was never awkward for the both of them. It was their friend, their solace, because sometimes, things were better left unsaid, uncomplicated. Anna always liked things to be this way, or at least Yoh thought so.

"Yoh…" Anna whispered, her soft voice almost lost to the wind. He had heard it of course, he would hear her a million miles away.

"Hmm?"

"The sky…it really is beautiful tonight." Anna's facial expression softened as she spoke, her orbs looking towards the horizon. She smiled gently, before letting her gaze travel to her fiancé.

_Time has been kind to you, Yoh._

Capturing his enamored gaze, she turned away quickly, not wanting to lose her composure, lest Yoh found out her cheeks were the same as the color of the sky. Hearing a soft laugh, she knew he had noticed, but decided to stay quiet to save her from embarrassment.

Not tonight.

Boldly, he reached out for her right hand, slowly wrapping his fingers around hers. So what if he was going to get slapped? Even that few seconds of their physical contact would be worth it.

Anna felt his hand reach for hers, a warmth tingling on her skin, traveling to her chest, making it hard to breathe. She calmed herself down, trying to maintain her breathing so that he wouldn't notice. A part of her wanted to slap him for being so bold. He had been getting bolder and bolder in his romantic advances these past few weeks. Maybe he deserved some punishment.

Yet, another part of her loved his touch, his gaze, his _love._ He was, technically, her husband after all, even though they had not been married in a ceremony yet.

But, was there really a need to? Yoh had been Anna's friend, her **only **friend. They knew practically everything about each other. To others, they may not look like a couple, but she couldn't care less. What was most important to her was how Yoh felt about her.

She gave his hand a squeeze, signaling her positive reception to his gesture of affection. Looking towards him, she flashed him a smile. It was almost like a shooting star, magnificent while it lasted, leaving a bittersweet taste when it was out the sky. Her smile was rare, only making it more special.

Yoh was lucky, he caught her smiling more than anyone else did in the world. She…she was such a beauty, if only she had known how much. Maybe he would tell her, let her know.

"The sky, the sunset, " Yoh pointed, his free hand signaling towards the sun, making sure he had gotten her attention.

"It could never be as beautiful as you, Anna." Blushing as he said that, slightly embarrassed at his boldness, Yoh looked away quickly, mentally slapping himself for being too forward with his compliment. Surely he would be punished now for his brash actions.

"Yoh…" her voice, faltering as she spoke, a tone that had never been heard before. It bewildered her even, the Anna she knew was never capable of such emotion, but around him, she was a different person. The façade she put on daily struggled to stay in place. It was as if with every word he spoke and with every touch of his hand, he was revealing her real her, the real Anna, to both him and to herself.

Feeling his arms around her, she melded into his embrace. It was rare, occasions like these. Even when Yoh came back from the dead, after his soul was absorbed by Hao, she didn't even dare to look at his direction. Who would have thought that a Funbari Hill sunset would be where she had gotten her first hug. Boy, was she glad it was him, and not Ryu or one of Yoh's stupid idiotic friends.

"Ne, Anna…" his voice, seemingly in need of reassurance, reached her ears lightly, tickling her neck with his breath.

She waited, before hearing him grow silent again. Looking up, her brows knitted slightly together, as if demanding an explanation.

"It's nothing. Gomen. Let's watch the sun set, shall we? " He smiled, pulling her closer to him.

Anna didn't bother to answer, because he knew what she would already answer.

There they lay, for the next few minutes or so, watching the sun set together, wrapped in each other's embrace.


	6. Chapter 5

Scene 6

Breakfast

In the wee hours of the morning with majority of people still sleeping soundly in bed, a rhythmic sound of running footsteps could be heard from the pavement. A very sweaty, sleepy, but most importantly, _irritated _Asakura Yoh was performing his mundane task of training, starting of his morning with what Anna called, a 'light' ten kilometer jog.

_That Anna…always making life hard for me. It has been months since my Oracle Bell rang, can't she just let me sleep in on a weekend, like the REST OF JAPAN?_

Silently cursing himself, Yoh quickened his pace, wanting to finish the run as soon as possible. Glancing at the horizon, he realized that the sun would rise soon, which meant that he had to be home before Anna woke up to cook her breakfast.

_Sigh…life is difficult._

She had been pushing him harder as of late, making him do more of the household chores, having him run earlier in the morning so that he would be too tired to do anything else besides sleep, or even performing more pushups or sit-ups in the small garden near the front porch. It almost seemed like she was…pushing him away.

The hardest part to Yoh wasn't the training or the extra chores, it was not knowing why she was being so distant of late.

Seeing the inn in sight, Yoh slowed down, gradually reducing his speed until he stopped. The sun had just begun to rise. Turning around to marvel at nature's beauty, Yoh smiled, captivated by the enthralling scene that was unfolding in front of him.

Turning around, he slowly made his way to the bath, getting himself ready for a brand new day.

Hearing the front door slide open, Anna opened her eyes. It was still too early to wake up anyways. As of late, since their little 'incident' atop the hill, she had been giving him more training, even in the wee hours of the morning. She needed the distance, things had been getting out of control. Not that she didn't like it, but she wasn't used to it.

And for Anna, not being used to it meant that it had to stop.

Running her fingers through her hair, she turned over on her side, trying to go back to sleep. She knew that effort would be futile of course, but she tried to anyways. Tossing and turning in her futon, Anna sat up, frustrated at herself.

Looking around her room, she realized just how empty it actually was. Although there was a beautiful cherry blossom painting that adorned her left wall, just beside her closet, she never really was fascinated by it, because it looked so…lonely. Looking down, she let herself smile a little, when she saw her new CD that Yoh had gotten for her, right next to her new CD player.

Was she being too harsh? To be honest, Anna _loved _it when he held her that night. But all her life, she had never known how to deal with such emotion. Growing up alone and abandoned, love was never a part of her childhood. Now, having to deal with all these feelings made her weak, uncomfortable, even to the extent that she had begun to shut him out. Had she made a mistake? Hopefully not. Hurting him was the last thing on her mind. She only hoped that he knew that.

Changing out of her nightgown into the usual dark dress before tying the red bandana around her neck, she folded the sheets and placed the futon neatly in a corner. Taking one last look at her CD player, she closed the door and proceeded downstairs.

"Morning Anna." Yoh smiled, a white apron tied around his waist with a white cloth wrapped around his messy hair. He was as chirpy as usual, pretending as if he hadn't had a care in the world. Who was he to fool her anyway? They had been living together for so long now, nothing would go unnoticed.

"Morning, Yoh. You done with your run?" Anna replied coldly, seemingly uninterested.

_Run. Training. Is that all she ever cares about?_

"Uh-huh. I'll go get the food. " Hiding his hurt with a careless smile, Yoh left the living room and took a few bowls of rice from the kitchen.

Eating in silence, the pair retreated to the only solace that they knew. If there wasn't anything to say, maybe it would be better to not say anything at all. Yoh sighed quietly, picking at his food with the chopsticks. He wasn't feeling very hungry that morning. Maybe he was just tired.

"Your cooking has improved, Yoh. The rice isn't as hard as before."

_Did Anna just compliment me? Or was that my mind talking out loud?_

Chuckling nervously, Yoh scratched the back of his neck, happy that he had at least done something right.

"Arigatou, Anna. I was only able to cook it that well because of your help."

Looking at her, he caught her gaze at the exact same time. Yoh noticed how her cheeks turned a slight red, before turning away.

Smiling to himself, maybe this morning wouldn't be so bad after all.


	7. Chapter 6

Scene 7

Distance

Running fingers through her hair, Anna Kyoyama sighed softly into the night. Leaning against the front door, she looked up at the moon, its light falling gently onto her beautiful features. She donned her red bandana, tied as a scarf around her neck, no longer able to hold her long flowing blonde hair anymore.

Bringing her hand to sides, she proceeded to sit on the steps, hugging herself in the process. Her eyes were flickering that night, her soul confused and lonely. As of late, Yoh was seemingly distant, going about to do his training without complaining. Even in school, when they met up for lunch, he never spoke. It wasn't awkward for her, it was just…_quiet._

Anna wondered what had happened to her usually talkative fiancé, was it because of her? But he couldn't blame her for what she had done, she had not known love for all her life. Yoh was the first person Anna truly loved and cared about. Even in the past, when they were younger during the Shaman Tournament, she had always been concerned, pretending that she only wanted an easy life and needed Yoh to become Shaman King to do so. However, beneath all that, she was still a girl who loved her man with all her heart and hoped that he would be safe. She just didn't know how to show it. Had he forgotten? Was she losing him slowly?

She remembered the day Yoh held her in his arms, atop Funbari Hill. A part of her never wanted him to let go or for the sunset to end. She wished that the sunset could have gone on forever. Yet, what was she doing now, pushing him away?

Bringing her palm to her face to rest her cheeks, lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear his footsteps down the road outside the Funbari Inn, noticing him only when the front gate opened.

"You're back." Anna spoke, mentally slapping herself for sounding so cold.

"Yeah, I am. Were you waiting for me?" Yoh responded as he walked over to her, a small smile on his face. She looked at him, before looking away, resting her cheek on her palm again. Yoh simply smiled back and went in to put the groceries away.

A few minutes later, he emerged again, a black coat in his hand. Sitting beside her, he draped the coat over her bare shoulders, getting a surprised look in response.

"It's pretty cold tonight. You should wear something extra in case before you get sick. I wore this out just now, so I hope you don't mind." Yoh spoke, whilst putting the coat over her shoulders, ensuring it completely shrouded her petite frame.

"What about you? Don't you need it?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry!" He reassured her, his laugh putting her mind at ease.

For a moment, the couple sat in silence, under the moonlight, on the front porch, seemingly lost in nature's embrace. The lights around them were all turned off, as Anna had been sitting here since the sun set.

She thought about the things she wanted to say to him, the feelings she wanted to express. For the first time in her life, Anna wanted Yoh to know how she felt, how she secretly loved the way he touched her, how she wanted him to know that she _loved _him. But she didn't. She was afraid. Besides, Yoh never told her he loved her as well, why did she had to be the one to make the first move?

Then, her mind wandered to the previous events. Yoh had never told her, he had _shown _her. He let her know that he loved her. Sadly, she was struggling to do the same.

It was undeniable that she loved him. He was the first person who didn't do what everyone else did.

Yoh didn't run away.

When he saw the demon that she had created, the materialization of her loneliness, her fears, her shattered dreams and hopes, he faced it with conviction, even when he didn't know why. That was the moment Anna knew that Yoh was different.

That was the moment Anna began to fall in love. Deeply, madly, quickly, she fell in love. When he had left Izumo, she thought about him every day. No one knew, but Anna kept count of the days she was away from him, the days before she left to live in the inn with him, just the two of them.

Looking at him, she felt a lump in her throat, seemingly stuck with all the things she had wanted to say.

He turned around, their eyes connected for a brief moment, before they turned away, pretending that nothing had happened. Yoh desperately wanted to reach out to her, but the fact was that he was afraid of rejection. And Anna had already become a master of that.

Recently, he often slept late, lying in his futon, surrounded by his deepest desires. He was saddened deeply, even if he refused to show it. Had he failed to warm her heart? Horo Horo and Chocolove called her the Ice Queen, because Anna had a reputation for being so cold towards the people around her.

Had he failed to melt the ice in her heart, the thick walls that closed her off to everyone, including him? Was he dreaming when he held her atop Funbari Hill? Was she just an illusion? Was she…_real?_ To be honest, Yoh was tired. Not physically, but emotionally. He had been chasing her since she had come to live with him, only to realize how difficult it was when they began to grow older. Even Horo Horo had found a girlfriend and kissed her. Yoh didn't even get to kiss her goodnight and she was his fiancée.

Deciding to go to bed, he stood up, earning Anna's attention in the process.

"I'm pretty tired. You should get some rest Anna. Don't stay up too late. Goodnight." Yoh spoke, walking towards the door. He only felt more miserable when he didn't even hear her mumble.

Dragging his feet to his bedroom door, Yoh unrolled his futon and took his shirt off. Pulling the covers up, he lied down on his pillow, trying desperately to prevent himself from thinking about Anna.

He heard her bedroom door shut, which only made it harder for him to sleep.

_All that separates us is this wall. And yet…it feels like so much more._

Lying on his back, Yoh stared aimlessly at the ceiling, feeling the room suddenly getting cold and lonely. He thought about Anna and wondered if she felt the same.

The sudden sound of his bedroom door opening brought him to back to his senses. Yoh sat up immediately, wondering if Anna had come in to scold him again.

She paused at the door, her figure stood there, unmoving. Yoh noticed that she was still wearing the jacket. Maybe she had come to return it?

_What is she going to return next, the CD player I bought for her?_

Standing up, Yoh walked over, confused at her sudden appearance. Her blond hair covered her face partially, her eyes out of his sight as she looked at the floor.

"Is everything okay Anna? Is something wrong?" Yoh asked, afraid at her reason for being here.

"Yoh…" She spoke a gentle whisper, her face still shrouded from his view.

"Anna…what is going on? Are you okay? You're starting to scare me." Yoh responded, his eyes desperately searching for a sign that she was okay.

"Is that what I do to you? Scare you away? You're afraid of me, Yoh. Just like everyone else who knows me." Anna mumbled, her words dripping with emotion and sadness. His words were breaking her heart.

Yoh, not used to being in such tense situations, could only stifle his shock. What was she saying? That he had hurt her? No one could ever hurt Anna! Yet who was this person standing before his very eyes?

As soon as he had opened his mouth to spoke, she took the jacket off and passed it to him.

"Thanks." Anna spun on her heels, eager to get away from him, eager to find solace in her loneliness, no matter how painful it would be.

"Anna wait." Yoh reached out to her and grabbed her wrist, stopping her dead in her tracks. His hold was tight, slightly painful, demanding even.

Seeing that she didn't respond, Yoh pulled her into his room and slid the door closed behind him, his grip still on her wrist.

"Let go of me." Anna insisted, her tone beginning to show signs of anger.

Yoh refused to back down, his normal cowardly-self fading away quickly.

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

"Nothing has been going on, Yoh. Now let me go before I lose my temper." She bit back, staring straight into his eyes. Both of them didn't want to admit it, but their hearts had been racing quickly, already out of control from all the emotion and tension in the room.

There was no turning back. It was now or never.

"No. I am your fiancé and I demand to know what is going on. And unless you tell me, I am not letting you leave this room." Anna was surprised at her usually meek fiancé's newfound bravery, but it did not come at the right time.

She was losing her patience now, he was beginning to get on her nerves. Had he not known that she wanted to get away from him?

"I am going to tell you for the last time, Asakura Yoh. You let me go this instance of I will give you hell for the rest of your life, whether you want it or not. Now let me-"

"You have already put me in hell this past week."

Dumbfounded at his response, she could only gasp, the anger slowly beginning to dissipate.

Taking a deep breath, Yoh continued,

"Anna. I've been trying all these years to make you happy. To make you smile. I thought I could be the person that would warm your heart, to melt the ice that surrounds you. People always tell me that I'm unlucky. I'm unlucky to be married to some…girl who doesn't even think twice about punishing someone if they have done something that irritates you."

_So this is how he feels about me. Maybe they were right. Maybe he is unlucky to have been engaged to me._

Her heart shattering into a million pieces, for the first time since they were kids, Anna was on the verge of breaking down into tears.

"I understand Yoh. I finally know how you truly feel. Now let me go and I promise to never bother you again. Please, will you let me just go back to my-"

"Don't you get it Anna?!" Yoh shouted, his grip tightening even further, putting his fiancé in pain, shocking her with the emotions that he was capable of.

"I don't care how you treat me. If you want me to run, fine, I'll run. If you want me to buy groceries, fine, I'll buy the groceries. If you want me to leave you alone, fine. I'll leave you alone, after you hear what I have to say." Yoh beseeched her, his eyes glassy, letting her look into his soul.

"All I've ever wanted was to make you happy, Anna. I couldn't care less about what people say about us. I don't even pay attention to all the jokes I get when I hang out with our friends. They don't know the real you, I do." Yoh mumbled, his arm still clinging onto her, as if she would disappear the moment he had let her go.

Looking up to face her, as he pulled her towards him, Yoh summoned all his remaining courage and whispered softly,

"Anna…I…I really love you."

The words took a while for Anna to absorb. As it sunk in, she realized that Yoh had confessed his love for the very first time since they had been together. She stared at him, ignoring the red marks that were beginning to form on her wrist.

Anna wanted him to know, that she loved him too.

Her free hand reached out to caress his face, brushing away his hair that had covered his face.

Yoh let her go slowly, his eyes still unable to meet hers. Seeing that he had been holding her wrist painfully, he apologized quietly, not wanting to look at her directly. Anna stepped forward, her arms suddenly sliding around his waist, demanding that he was hers.

Yoh was shocked, his fierce fiancée was actually hugging him! But… did she love him? She still had not responded to his declaration of love that had went unconfessed for all their life spent together.

"Yoh…" Anna's voice, beginning to falter at the end of his name, barely made a sound. Yet, he noticed it, his palms holding her arms gently.

"Yoh…I really love you too."

_A/N: Damn…things are getting interesting. The first 2000 word chapter to his this story! Thanks for all the reviews and favorites this story has been getting. I love you all!_


	8. Chapter 7

_A/N: SO SO SORRY for the long hiatus! I have been really busy with you know…life? Such a bitch isn't it. Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites this story has been getting! Now let's get back to it!_

**Scene 8**

Different

The early morning sunlight shone through the fluttering curtains of the Funbari Inn. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, slowly taking its place in the beautiful auburn sky. Tokyo and her people were just waking up, ready to live another day in their everyday lives.

Usually by now, a kid with bright orange headphones would have been halfway through his early morning run, stopping at the harbor to look at the sunset. Earlier that morning, he would have woken up alone in his somewhat messy room, his futon sheets sprawled all over the floor, with his pillowcase stained with his drool.

When he got home, he would take a quick bath in that huge bathroom of theirs, afterwards proceeding to make some breakfast before she got annoyed and began screaming at him. After breakfast, they would make their way to school, or if it were on weekends, she would spend the lazy afternoons in the living room, catching up on all her melodramatic soap operas.

Today, was _different._

When he rose from his slumber, the sweetest one he ever had, he would realize that the futon he usually slept on all by himself, wasn't so spacious anymore. Not because he had grown bigger, or his futon had shrunk, but because there was someone beside him. He gazed downwards at her, with her arms draped over his stomach, her head laying in the nook of his shoulder, right beside his heart.

Slowly, recollections of their previous night began to surface in his mind. His lips formed a small, yet content smile. Laying back on his pillow, the boy turned to look at his clock.

Half-past ten. He was glad that they had no school today, if not he would have been late.

Then, he felt a small stir beside him, her eyes beginning to open. When she had woken up, she found him looking at her, his cute face pink from embarrassment. She too, began to remember what happened last night and began to flush a reddish pink as well. But she did not want to leave, she wanted this morning to last forever.

Looking away, she lay back on his shoulder, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Then, she felt him lean over, planting a small & gentle kiss onto her forehead.

"Morning." He whispered, brushing a few strands of her blonde hair out of her face. She smiled and pulled him closer, her heart gushing with love for him. She could hear his heartbeat, strong and rhythmic. It was the most soothing sound in the world. Why did it ever take them so long to be like this?

"I'm late for my run y'know." He spoke again, while his hands caressed her beautiful locks of hair fondly.

"I know. I'll let you off today." The girl replied, muttering into his shirt.

"Really?" the boy chuckled, seemingly surprised.

Reluctantly, she got up, crossing her legs on the futon. Her hair was all messy, but to him she still looked beautiful. Her lips curving into a cunning smile, the boy groaned loudly, knowing that he would still have to run that morning.

"Yoh." She spoke, her words soft and gentle.

He propped himself up on his elbows, a quizzical look on his face.

"Perhaps, would you like me to cycle along with you? It's boring to stay at home with nothing to do."

"I would love that." He replied, a smile forming on his face.


	9. Chapter 8

Scene 9

"Yoh! Get your ass down here right now!" Anna's loud & commanding voice boomed through the Funbari Inn, a loud voice in the still early and tranquil morning. The poor boy, still sleeping soundly, drooling all over his tatami mat had no idea what was coming for him.

After waiting for what seemed like eternity, she knew he had not heard her because there was no response. Making her way to the kitchen, Anna looked for the largest pan she could find, along with a wooden ladle and proceeded to his room.

Sliding the door open, she saw him, deep in his slumber, his pillows all wet from his drool. His hair was in a mess, his arms sprawled all over the mat, whilst his legs and blanket were tangled to the point that the covers were useless.

In short, to her, he was still _cute._

Letting herself smile, she quickly resumed her usually stoic self, not wanting to come off as kind today.

With a quick bang of the pan, Yoh shot up in his bed, screaming like a girl in the process. When he was finally able to take in his surroundings, he noticed Anna standing over him, with an angry look plastered on her face. Rubbing his eyes to check if he was dreaming, he only managed a guilty smile when he realized that she was indeed, right there in front of him.

"Um…morning Anna." Yoh mumbled, scratching his head, trying to figure out what he had done wrong this time.

"Morning, Yoh. You look like you slept well tonight." Anna replied, her eyes locked onto him.

"So…uh…why did you wake me up for?"

With that reply, her eyes narrowed dangerously and viciously, a sign of the impending danger that was about to happen.

"The rice cooker Yoh, would you care to tell me about it?"

_Oh shit._


	10. Chapter 9

_A/N: I know in the anime Yoh's room isn't messy at all. Let's just say after the SF, Anna wasn't so strict anymore and it has been quite some time since anyone bothered about Yoh's room._

Scene 10

Old Memories

Asakura Yoh certainly didn't think he had this much junk in his room.

Rummaging through heaps of belongings strewn everywhere, he found things he never thought he owned at all.

"That Anna…making me clean up this mess. It's my room, why should she care how messy it is? I don't go into her room and start demanding her to clean up. Then again…I doubt it's even messy at all…" The boy grumbled to himself, whilst separating all his stuff into a two boxes, one of which would be thrown away.

Slumping to the floor, Yoh scratched his head and sighed. Clearing this alone would take the whole day! He promised Manta to meet after his Cram School, but at this rate, it would take a week before Yoh even got out of his room.

Sighing again reluctantly, he got up on his feet and went downstairs to look for her.

Sliding the living room door open, Yoh peeked in slowly, looking around for any signs of her presence. He hoped she didn't go out without him again, because that would make cleaning up a lot worse.

Yoh walked in quietly, slowly approaching the black figure that lay on the floor in front of their new television. Clearing his throat to make his presence known, Yoh mumbled

"Um…Anna? I need your help."

Without turning her eyes from the mechanical box in front of her, she let out a grunt, the way only Anna could.

"What is it? You should know better to disturb me while I'm watching my soap operas." She replied in a flat tone.

"You see um…I was upstairs cleaning my room. And I figured it would be much faster if I had some help. So I was wondering if you could help, but since you're watching your soaps then I shan't disturb you any-"

The sudden noise of the TV shutting off caught him by surprise. Anna stood up and walked past him, pausing momentarily at the bottom of the staircase.

"Are you coming or not? You better be quick. I'm getting hungry and you had better make dinner after this. And stop smiling like an idiot." Anna spoke, in a slightly annoyed manner. Yoh was more than happy though, he knew more than anyone how different she was a few years ago.

_She's changed. A lot._

An hour later, all that remained was a small jumble of things placed beside Yoh's sleeping mat. Anna sat down on his bed, motioning him to start clearing up first. Yoh knelt down beside her, his hands surgically removing the small items first.

It was then where he spotted an old letter envelope, with no writings on it whatsoever. He picked it up curiously, turning it around to see what it was. Yoh slowly opened the cover and removed a small white piece paper that had been folded neatly. By now, the envelope had piqued the interest of Anna, who never seemed to be interested the whole time she was there.

Unfolding the white sheet of paper, Yoh read the first line out loud.

_To Yoh-san:_

_The person who is waiting for you _

_Surely won't let you have any lonely feelings_

_At least._

_At least._

In an instance, Yoh smiled sadly, for this poem had brought back many bittersweet memories and how he had lost a very dear friend that day.

Anna recognized it too, for she had also gotten a letter from the same person that gave one to Yoh. It was a long time ago, when the two of them were still young and had only met for the first time.

Deciding to break the sad silence, Anna spoke softly, wanting to be as tactful with her words as possible. She, of all people, understood what this letter meant to Yoh and how emotional he would become whenever he thought of him.

"You still miss him, don't you?"

Yoh chuckled, caressing the edges of the piece of paper. She was right. It had been close to eight years now, but he still missed him fondly. (_A/N: In this fanfic Yoh and Anna are both close to eighteen.)_

"It's okay to miss people you love Yoh. You don't have to be embarrassed about it."

Still, he remained silent, staring blankly at the letter that was written for him.

_Eight years have passed…but it still feels like it only happened yesterday._

In rarefied moments like this, when Yoh was actually saddened about something, made Anna wish she still had some of her telepathic powers. Looking at the hunched over figure before her, his face shrouded by his long messy brown hair, Anna could only wonder what was running through her fiancé's mind. He wasn't crying, that's for sure, but he was definitely still affected by it.

"Go on Yoh," she encouraged him, getting back a short glance in response.

"Up till today I have never gotten to hear the complete letter." Flashing him a warm smile, she waited patiently for him to begin reading again.

_Miserable and abandoned on the road_

_Half way through the trip_

_Lost all will and hope_

_Love is the meeting_

_The separation_

_It's a transparent piece of cloth_

_Osorezan Re Voir_

By this point, Yoh was already fighting back tears. He didn't want himself to look like a cry baby in front of Anna. In the past it was okay, but now they were both grown up. Rubbing his eyes to play if off, he folded the piece of paper and placed it back into his envelope.

Anna of course, knew the whole time. She just didn't want to say anything that would embarrass him further. A part of her understood why Yoh was emotional whenever it came to him. After all, he was Yoh's first _mochirei. (Mochirei=guardian spirit)_

More importantly, he was Yoh's first friend.

Feeling the need to convey her hidden thoughts about that day, Anna decided to proceed with caution.

"Yoh…"

Hearing his name, Yoh turned to her slowly, his eyes slightly red. Anna couldn't tell if it was because of the constant rubbing, or if he was crying.

"Why did he sacrifice himself? For you and for me?" She enquired, careful not to sound too aggressive.

Yoh looked down at the floor, fidgeting with the covers that were neatly folded and placed on the side of his bed.

"He said he didn't want to have any regrets. And that he didn't want me to miss the only chance where I could get your heart to open up." Yoh replied, not looking up at all, wanting to avoid Anna's concerned gaze. Slowly, he continued.

"I told him that I would become Shaman King. I promised him that when I did, I would summon him again so we would be able to meet. But as you know…" his voice drifted off slowly, sounding faint even in the still and quiet room.

"I guess I make too many promises eh?" Chuckling nervously, Yoh fisted the fabrics in his hand, struggling to contain his emotions.

Anna smiled, her heart grieving for the man she loved so dearly. Even at a tender age of ten, Yoh chose to sacrifice the first friend he ever had, just for her, even when they had only met for a few days.

"Don't be ashamed, I'm sure he's proud of you," She replied, placing a reassuring hand on his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"He's not the only one too."

Upon hearing her words, Yoh looked up at her and smiled softly, thankful for her reassurance and support.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to fulfill the promise I made to you, Anna. But I really tried my best. I guess it wasn't good enough."

A soft hand reached up to cup his face, its fingers stroking his cheek tenderly. She looked at him, her eyes brimming with emotion.

"Your best is more than enough for me. And it always will be."

_(A/N: If you guys have been reading the manga, you would know who the 'him' I am referring to is. It is a very special character that has not been explored in the anime, so if you do not know who it is, I strongly suggest to read up on the Osorezan Revoir Arc in SK. It tells the story of how Yoh and Anna first met. _

_As always, thanks for reading and do leave a review if you can! I read through everything!_

_Thanks!)_


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks for all your wonderful comments! I will continue to update this in the near future so stay tuned!**

Scene 11

Lunch

Rubbing his eyes groggily, Asakura Yoh reluctantly sat up in his sleeping mattress. His long, messy and disheveled hair was all over his face, but he could care less. Looking around dreamily, not seeming to be particularly interested in anything, Yoh glanced at his alarm clock and shut it off before it could start ringing.

Slowly, he got up to his feet, yawning loudly in the process. Sliding his shoji door open, Yoh almost bumped headfirst into his fiancée who was proceeding to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"Morning Yoh." She said in a sleepy yet firm tone whilst walking past him.

"Morning Anna!" He replied, shuffling his feet to follow her.

It was routine for them, waking up almost in sync, brushing their teeth together not saying anything, both enjoying the peaceful silence of the early morning. They had been doing this for almost 8 years now, yet every time they were together Anna secretly loved it, because it was one of the few times where the whole world seemed to revolve around the two of them only. Once they stepped out of the door, she was a different person, and as much as he liked to deny it, she knew Yoh was too.

But that was their little secret.

As she put down her toothbrush, she combed her hair straight in the mirror, careful to not tug too hard on the locks of hair that were neat the night before. What she didn't know was that her fiancé always took longer than normal to brush his teeth, just because he loved seeing Anna take care of herself and her appearance. Not that it needed any changes, but a few years ago this scene would totally be alien to him.

Of course, the blonde was never clueless. She always noticed him glancing at her, pretending to be busy brushing his teeth.

_That idiot, he only has two rows of teeth. He doesn't need to take this long._

When they finally got ready, the pair would head down to eat breakfast, which usually consisted of the previous night's leftovers. Sometimes, Anna would let Yoh buy his Super Sereal Cereals.

Once they were done, they would head to the bus stop and board the bus. It was always the same seat, the same route to school and the same people on the bus. Yoh would listen to some music on the way to school, falling asleep in the process, his mouth wide open making soft snoring noises.

The blonde, on the other hand, would gaze out the window, enjoying the breeze and Yoh's not-so-silent company. Sometimes, he would fall asleep and lean on her shoulder, snuggling up to her as if she was a pillow. She never minded though, how could she?

She _loved _him.

People her age usually thought they knew everything about love and they had experienced it all. They thought that they knew that true love was and what it was all about. Most of them were wrong and every other day in school, it wasn't hard to find a girl crying in the toilets or classroom because their boyfriend had left them.

Anna was the exception. Was there really more to be said?

The girl had practically known Yoh since he was a little boy, when they were the same height, until puberty took over and forced both of them to grow up. Sure, they were eighteen now, but Yoh was still Yoh, childish and irresistibly cute as always.

Yoh…he practically made her dreamy. Being at the height of female hormonal growth did not help at all, but Anna was a master at hiding her emotions. Most of the time, at least.

When the bus pulled over, Yoh woke up, wiping his mouth with his hand. They would get off the bus as if nothing had happened, but Anna would always know.

Getting to school wasn't the hard part for Yoh. Staying awake would be a daily challenge, daunting in all its ways. Usually, he would be back to dreamland by the start of the second period. He would try to stay awake though, but he was rarely successful.

Anna, who was sitting behind him, would take a pen and poke him in the back to get him to stay awake. Once, she poked him with so much force that there was a small hole in the back of his uniform. But she would mend it herself, sewing late into the night, not wanting her dear fiancé to go to school with a hole in his uniform.

Even till now, if you looked closely into one of Yoh's uniforms, you could see a small but very precise stitch made out of white thread, handled with tender love and care.

Lunch was Yoh's favorite part of the day not only because of the food, but it was one of the few times he and Anna could be together in school privately. Walking outside to the bench under the big tree, Anna began unpacking her lunch, neatly arranged into small portions.

Yoh dug down and pulled out his rice box, his mouth already watering. Rummaging through his backpack, he was appalled to find that he had forgot to bring the boxes for his side dishes. Groaning, he continued searching, already well aware that he had nothing to eat but rice.

Anna, sensing something was wrong, raised an eyebrow at him curiously. Seeing that he had only put his rice box on the table, she immediately knew what was getting his so agitated.

"Forgot something again, Yoh?" she asked, in a matter-of-factly voice, causing him to tense up when he heard her question. He turned to her sheepishly, scratching his head whilst laughing nervously.

Opening his rice box gingerly, he thought to himself,

"Oh to heck with it! Rice is still food!"

Grabbing his chopsticks, Yoh was beginning to devour his food fiendishly, had it not been for the pair of chopsticks that were pinching down on his nose.

He looked up at her, his mouth still wide open, hands by his side ready to eat.

"Take some of my food. Eating rice alone is too bland." Anna removed her chopsticks, using them instead to pick up some food before placing it on his rice.

Yoh, touched by her kind gesture, continued staring at her, smiling widely.

"Stop staring at me you idiot. Eat your food before it gets cold." Anna responded, not wanting to look at him directly.

"Okay. Thanks Anna. "Smiling at her one last time, before going back to his food, stuffing his face as if it was the first time he had eaten in days. Anna couldn't help but notice how messy he ate, but she had long gotten used to it.

"Stop eating so messily Yoh! 18 years old and you still eat like a kid." She unconsciously reached out to remove a grain of rice from the corner of his lip, brushing her knuckle with his cheek in the process.

Realizing what she had done, Anna retracted her hand quickly, her heart racing at a million miles an hour. Yoh just smiled at her, pointing to her left cheek.

"You have something there too."

"Where?" Anna reached out to touch her face, trying to find whatever Yoh said was on her cheek.

"Here, I'll get it for you." Yoh leaned forward, pretending to be interested in whatever was on her face.

The problem was, there was nothing on her face at all.

Yoh leaned in, planting a quick peck on her cheek. Anna turned to him, faced flushed with pink. She stared at him for a while, still shocked by his actions, before she looked away and smiled shyly.

"Idiot. You never grow up." Anna mumbled, her face still red.

All Yoh could do was chuckle, before he went back to his lunch.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	12. Chapter 11

**Continuation**

School (2)

Absentmindedly spinning his pencil with his fingertips, Yoh was getting very bored of class. His Chemistry teacher had been yakking about some stupid formula and different colored salts that formed with various combinations of elements. It didn't make sense to him.

And with Asakura Yoh, when it doesn't make sense, he doesn't do well for it.

Banging his head loudly onto the table with a deep groan, he didn't notice the entire class's attention shift to him, with his teacher stopping midway through his sentence. It was only after a few seconds did Yoh realize what he actually did.

Immediately, he sat up straight, his back upright, bowing in apology. The teacher gave him a wary look, before resuming his lesson. Yoh felt someone poke him from behind with a pen. Wincing from the sharp sudden pain, he squirmed in his seat, turning behind to face a very angry Anna.

She gestured towards the board and gave him a You-better-pay-attention-or-i-am-going-to-kill-you look. One of the many signature glares she was famous for. Yoh then turned around, grumbling whilst resting his head on his hand, propping an elbow onto the table for support.

_Just one more hour! You can do this!_

Slapping himself lightly on the cheek, Yoh made an effort to actually stay awake for the remainder of the lesson. He copied down notes, he listened attentively in class, but he kept getting distracted for some reason. It was as if there was someone boring a hole in the back of his head just by looking at him. But whenever he turned around, no one would bother. Sometimes, Anna would just give him that look of hers, which scared the living hell outta him. Sure, he was eighteen, but some things never change.

"Rinnnnggggg!"

With the sound of the bell, students began to keep their textbooks and journals, all wanting to get out as fast as possible.

"Don't forget class, the pop quiz is tomorrow! I expect no failures, so all of you better study tonight." Upon hearing Mr Naga's voice, the whole class emitted a loud groaning sound, as if they were all in pain.

Yoh just sat there slack-jawed. He had not studied at all! Plus, how was he going to remember all the stupid formulas and different colored salts? Sighing deeply, he got up and pushed in his chair, dragging his feet out of class to walk home with Anna.

On the way home, the blonde noticed that something was worrying her fiancé. It was unlike him to be frowning so much and sighing so frequently. It was rare that something bothered him this much, so it had to be something important. Deciding to play the role of a caring fiancée today, she decided to ask.

"Is something the matter Yoh? You don't seem like your usual chirpy self." She broke the silence with her gentle and caring voice, hoping that he would open up to her.

"Oh its nothing Anna…just you know…wondering about the test tomorrow." He replied half-heartedly, his mind still obviously fixated on something else other than replying to her.

Of course he was worried about the test tomorrow. Yoh had not been doing well in Chemistry all semester. Even though he was lazy, getting bad grades was one area where Yoh was not particularly happy about. It always irked him for some reason, one way or another.

"You know, if you need help, or you need to do is ask." Anna spoke, secretly wishing that he would let her help him. Nowadays, as they grew older, Yoh rarely needed her for help anymore. He would diligently do his runs and pushups, because he wanted to stay fit. Studying wise, he always had Manta for that. A part of Anna wished that was never the case, but she figured that he was getting independent, and that was a good thing, right?

"It's okay Anna, I don't want to bother you explaining to me almost everything about salts. It would be a waste of your time."

Feeling slightly dejected, the blonde lifted a finger to brush her long locks of hair from her face, sighing softly as she continued to look at her somewhat depressed fiancé.

During dinner, Yoh ate quickly, wanting to get to his revision as soon as possible. Anna sat opposite him, just looking at him with interest and disgust. It was only going to be a matter of time before he would-

"Cough!" Yoh hacked loudly, his eyes watering as he choked on his rice.

Anna, looking at her suffering fiancé, quickly went to the opposite side of the table and hit his back hard repeatedly.

"Idiot, stop eating your food so quick! You're choking!"

Yoh continued coughing, until it subsided gradually. Wiping his eyes and his mouth with tissue paper, he smiled softly at her, her hand still on his back.

"Thanks Anna."

Seeing him look at her directly, Anna looked away, a faint blush on her cheek. She removed her hand and began busying herself with keeping all the plates.

"Go study. I'll wash the dishes."

And in a moment, he was gone.

A few hours passed, it had long passed ten o clock. Anna looked at the clock and closed her books, confident of her revision and hard work. Packing her bag, she proceeded out to brush her teeth. Leaving her room, she noticed Yoh's door slightly ajar. It wasn't like her to be meddling in his private space, but it wasn't like she was a stranger to his room.

Peeking through the door crack, she laid eyes on a figure, his mouth open, with soft snoring noises coming from him. His arms were all sprawled around a chemistry textbook, with a couple of worksheets that were full of crosses. Sighing, she gently removed the worksheets and closed the books, before putting them neatly to the side. Grabbing a blanket from his closet, she laid it gently onto his sleeping form and found herself lingering beside him, soaking in his presence.

A small warm hand reached out to touch his face, her eyes examining every small little detail. A loose lock of hair there, the flutter of his sleeping eyelids, accompanied by his somewhat therapeutic snoring noises. It was her Yoh, alright.

_Her Yoh._

Anna sat down on the table, her hands still stroking his hair, letting the smooth brown strands run through her fingers. She looked around the room, noticing the mortuary tablet which Amidamaru was in, along with the vinyl record player with countless CDs in the corner of the room. His bright orange headphones laid neatly coiled, beside the portable CD player which he had gotten for her. Various posters of Soul Bob and pictures of his friends hung around the room, with one taking up the most space. It was the one where Manta printed for the whole gang last Christmas when they went to Hokkaido to visit Horo Horo and Pirika. Tao Ren and Horo Horo were fighting in the background and the rest were smiling casually and were looking at the camera. Ryu looked like a pervert, while Faust and Eliza were happily smiling. Lyserg and Chocolove were smiling brightly too, with Chocolove's obnoxiously big bellybutton sticking out underneath his shirt. It was gross.

Then she saw the part of the photo where she liked the most. Yoh had put an arm around her shoulder, smiling like an idiot. It made Anna smile, and the photo turned out beautiful.

Getting off the table after her little session of nostalgia, Anna leaned down to give her fiancé a kiss on the cheek. She kissed him longer than normal, closing her eyes while she tousled with his hair, finally she got up, whispering a soft,

"Goodnight Yoh. Good luck for the test."

Flicking off the table light, she walked gently out of his room and proceeded with her business.

Finally, two days later, Mr Naga, the class's chemistry teacher, returned the papers to all the students. As he walked down the rows, there were mixed feelings of jubilation and disappointment. Yoh had been a fidgety bunch of nerves the whole day and Anna wished that he would really do well.

Mr Naga walked to Anna and returned her test papers.

"As usual, an excellent job Ms Kyoyama. Keep up the good work." A perfect score. Anna bowed politely, more concerned about Yoh's grades than her own.

"And as for you, Asakura Yoh," he began loudly, getting Yoh's attention in the process.

Stretching his hand forward with a stoic look on his face, Mr Naga began again.

"Good job Yoh. You've improved quite a lot. Maybe moving you to sit in front of Ms Kyoyama has done you quite the favor." Seeing that he had passed quite well, Yoh smiled brightly and bowed politely to his teacher, before turning behind to his proud fiancée.

"I did it Anna! Thanks for everything you've done for me." He grinned widely, his hands touching her forearms unconsciously.

Anna looked away shyly, a small smile on her face.

"I didn't do anything Yoh, all I wished was for you to do well."

"Precisely my point! You're my good luck charm. You always will be."

Hearing his words, Anna smiled softly, her heart bursting with love.

_You're my good luck charm Yoh. You always will be._


	13. Chapter 12

Scene 12

'It'

"Uwahhhhh….Ringo is so pretty this year! And look at her costume! How can anyone pull that off?" Yoh babbled in awe, his eyes seemingly awestruck at the elaborate costume that Awaya Ringo wore before his very eyes. A big peacock like fan of feathers stuck out strikingly from the back of the costume, with Ringo's headgear sporting delicate jewelry of all shapes and sizes. Her silver and white gown seemed to flow endlessly, all the way to the back stage. Amidamaru was in the living room too, seemingly interested as well.

"I told you Ringo would win this year." Anna replied, calm, cool and collected. Her expressions betrayed her feelings however, she was just as excited as Yoh was, only that she didn't want to show it. Her eyes scanned Ringo's gown thoroughly, a small impressed smile forming on her face.

With her eyes still stuck to the television screen, Anna didn't notice Yoh who snuck a glance as his mesmerized fiancé. He smiled lazily at her with the large goofy grin of his, unaware of his gawking.

It was only a matter of time when the blonde noticed.

Anna cocked her head sideways, staring right into his chocolate brown orbs.

"Anything the matter?" she spoke loudly, wanting to snap him out of his stupor. Hearing her words, Yoh jerked up in surprise, his knee hitting the corner of the table, spilling the tea all over the hard wooden surface.

"Ahh…gomen Anna, I'll go get it cleaned up." Yoh hurriedly left, not wanting to reveal his faint blush on his cheek. Digging his hands into his pockets, he shuffled slowly to the kitchen and took a rag from the closet. Turning the tap on, he rinsed the rag with the cold water before turning the faucet off. Walking back to the living room, he wiped the table down carefully, not wanting to disturb his fiancé who seemed to be totally engrossed in the program. Her small little eyebrows were scrunched up together, making Anna seem almost…_cute._

Yoh smiled inwardly, almost wanting to laugh when he realized the amount of trouble he would be in if he told Anna she looked cute. Clearing the table with one clean sweep, he kept the teacups and was just about to leave.

Suddenly, Anna stood up, patting herself down and running her hands down her long shapely legs to remove the creases on her dress.

"I'll get that. Bob Love is coming up next." She walked over calmly, taking the tray from him before disappearing down the hallway.

Yoh turned to his mochirei and asked,

"Did she just help me clean up MY mess? That's the fifth time this week!" he asked with a smile, albeit his shocked expression. Amidamaru could only chuckle, crossing his arms in the process.

"Yoh-san, I believe you have not kissed Anna-san this week. Maybe you should say a thank-you to her?"

Upon hearing his mochirei's words, Yoh couldn't resist the faint blush that appeared on his cheeks. He was suddenly interested in the television commercials, his fingers twiddling with each other nervously.

As her footsteps getting louder and louder, he glanced at Amidamaru once again, flashing a sheepish smile before turning away to look at the television screen. His guardian spirit floated away quietly, bowing before he left. As Anna slid the door open, she walked in slowly, noticing the uncomfortable tension that radiated from her fiancée.

Kneeling down at the opposite end of the table, she smoothened out the crinkles in her dress before looking at Yoh. With an eyebrow raised, she poked him hard on his cheek.

"Ow! What was that for?" The brunette exclaimed, seemingly surprised at her random act of domestic violence.

"What were you talking about with Amidamaru just now? I can bet it had nothing to do with the television commercials."

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Yoh could only smile shyly, hoping that his fiancé would not kill him after she heard what he had to say.

"It's nothing Anna. We were just talking about you know…umm…"

"Stop mumbling you idiot. I can barely understand you. If it wasn't anything important then you don't have to tell me. Now shush, Bob Love is here."

Yoh turned to the screen, seeing his favorite singer come on stage. Anna was right, Bob Love's performance was up next. But a part of his mind couldn't focus entirely on the performance. With Amidamaru's words still ringing at the back of his head, Yoh thought about what he wanted to do next. Turning his head slightly, he saw Anna's left hand placed on the table, her eyes fixed onto the screen. She was completely distracted!

_Time to go in for the kill…_

Yoh put his right arm onto the table, trying to play it off as a casual gesture and that he had no hidden intentions. Slowly but surely, his fingers crept slowly towards Anna's, hoping to catch her hand before she could pull away.

_Almost there…just a little bit more…_

Just as he was about to reach her fingers, Anna's hand pulled away as she rested them on the floor. Yoh's hand was now draped almost entirely on the wooden table, with the only space where Anna's hand was previously before.

_So close…_

Removing his hand immediately to avoid any awkward questions, Yoh just sighed softly, before folding his arms on the table to act as a pillow. Turning his attention to Bob Love, he could only hope his favorite singer would offer him some comfort and encouragement.

Then, he felt _it._

Yoh didn't dare to move, afraid that the feeling would go away. He remained still, shocked that she was actually doing this to him.

He felt her long smooth fingers run through his hair, stroking his messy head back and forth. Yoh didn't want to move, but at the same time, he couldn't resist asking why.

Reluctantly, he sat up, his eyes not tearing from hers at all. The look of confusion on his face said it all and Anna understood perfectly.

"What's the matter? Can't I touch your hair?" she exclaimed nonchalantly, as if it was an usual habit.

Yoh just stared at her, dumbfounded, a million thoughts running through his mind. However, one particular thought stood out the loudest, as if it was shouting at him and his body to do something.

Without hesitating, Yoh placed his hands on hers, quickly intertwining her fingers with his. Now it was Anna's turn to turn red, her cute gray eyes a huge contrast from the increasing flush of red that was appearing on her cheeks. She saw him gulp before leaning forward, slowly, over the small wooden coffee table.

He kept coming closer and closer, but she didn't move. She didn't want to move.

Anna could feel Yoh's hot breath fanning all over her forehead, he was only inches away now. Anna closed her eyes, hoping so much that he wouldn't back out now.

Then, she felt _it._

Her heart started to do backflips. Her stomach seemed to have a million butterflies who all decided to flap their wings at the same time. Her forehead was so hot, just as hot as her hand was. _It _was making her feel all lightheaded and loopy. When she opened her eyes, he was still near, his hand holding hers. She swallowed her saliva nervously, looking away shyly, not wanting to look him in the eye.

As he sat back down slowly, she felt a tad rejected, because _it _was supposed to be somewhere else as well. Nevertheless, she was in bliss.

Yoh smiled softly at her, hoping that she would return his smile.

Nowadays, it was rare that she never did.

**A/N: Sup guys! Can any of you guess what 'it' was? It's pretty obvious, isn't **_**it?**_** Pun intended. **


End file.
